


all our pointless misery

by loherangrin



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Control Issues, Gen, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Introspection, anger management issues, complicated family relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:21:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27157205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loherangrin/pseuds/loherangrin
Summary: Maxine Mayfield hates her stepbrother.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	all our pointless misery

**Author's Note:**

> uh. title comes from Supernova, by Marcus Alexander. I may or not may have been swayed, and may or not may have started planning to watch this entire show.
> 
> **!!!!!** there are, like, 4-10 swear words, and Billy uses the word "pussy" once as a derogatory word.

She’s a fierce little thing, fiery hair and full of opinions, an angry glare that makes a small part inside of Billy _delighted_ for reasons he doesn’t care to analyze. He could care for her, he thinks. Not, well, not love, because‒

But he could care for her. Could take care _of_ her, if he put his mind to it. Teach her the ins and outs of the Hargrove household. It would be easy, because Maxine is smart, because she’s _Mad Max_ , because she’s gutsy and she’s funny and she’s‒

She wouldn’t be the worst person to be stuck with as family. Maybe. But she’s... She’s happy. Underneath her anger and her wariness, underneath the homesickness he catches signs of from time to time. Maxine Mayfield is happy, and Billy _hates_ her for it. He’s got control over nothing. Not his life, not even his feelings, _nothing_. And here she is, no manners, no respect, not a single shred of responsibility, and she’s _happy_. It isn’t fair. _It isn’t fair_. It’s her fault that he’s always getting into trouble. She’s the one that keeps sneaking out, she’s the one who keeps talking back, she’s the one who keeps breaking things and Billy ― Billy is always, unfailingly, the one who has to deal with the fallout. He could care for her, but he doesn’t _want_ to. What good would that do? _I care about you, but you need to tell me where you’re going because dad won’t like the fact that I don’t know_. _I care about you, but sometimes I’ll tell you it’s time to go home and you’ll need to get your things and get in the car and not ask questions_. _I care about you, but if you see me getting smacked around you shut your fucking mouth and look the other way just like your mother does._

_I care about you, but everything you do is used against me and I’m tired of it, I’m tired of you_. She’s a fucking kid, and a stubborn one at that, they never do what you tell them to do. If Billy says _be quiet_ , she’ll talk. If he says _sit still_ , she’ll move. If he says _tell me_ , she won’t, just for the principle of it. (If he says _shut your fucking mouth and look the other way_ , she’ll‒

She’ll either do it and Billy will hate her even more for it, or she won’t, and if she doesn’t then it’s his fault, then he’s a _pussy_ , than he’s the man who had to be protected by a little girl and Billy won’t, he doesn’t, he’s‒)

Billy doesn’t need people ‘in his corner’. He’s dealt fine with it until now, hasn’t he? And his father ― his father cares about him, he knows. Billy just never learns, he _never fucking learns_. If he was _good_ ‒

But Max is never good, is she? And she doesn’t get smacked around, she doesn’t get shouted at, she doesn’t get punished. It’s not fair. _It’s not fair_. She shouldn’t be his responsibility. Billy doesn’t _want_ her to be his responsibility, just like he doesn’t want to care for her, just like he doesn’t want‒

Whatever. Fuck. _Whatever_. It doesn’t even matter. Maxine Mayfield hates her stepbrother, either way, and Billy knows because he made sure of it.

(It’s easier for everyone if she does.)


End file.
